Liquid-fuel-supply system for internal-combustion engines



March 4 192% 1,485,829

w. c. CARTER LIQUID FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 10 1920 WWI //v VIN/01$ Wu 1v #1 (3. 677577;

1 1k j W /7 70/1 v/y.

Patented Mar. 11924.

UNHTE C. CARTER, 016 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LIQUID-FSUJPPLY SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed may 10, 1920. Serial No. 380,293.

To allwhom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Liquid- Fuel-Supply Systems for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices of the kind generally known as vacuum tanks, which are used for drawing'gasoline or other liquid fuel from a source of supply and feeding said fuel by gravity to an internal combustion engine.

In one form of vacuum tank that is now in general use the delivery of the fuel from the source of supply to the tank is efiected by the vacuum or suction created in a chamber of the tank by the suction in the intake manifold of the engine with which the tank is used, said vacuum chamber being directly connected by means of a conduit with the intake manifold of the engine and by means of a separate conduit with the source of fuel supply. After a certain quantity of fuel has been drawn into the vacuum chamber of the tank an automatic valve mechanism permits said fuel to escape from the vacuum chamher into a separate chamber from which the fuel is supplied to the engine by gravity. Such a tank has one objectionable feature or characteristic that materially restricts its commercial use. Namely, it necessitates a relatively high vacuum in the vacuum chamber of the tank to draw the fuel up into said chamber from the source of supply. Accordingly, such a tank cannot be'used successfully with an engine that is normally operated under a wide open throttle, because the normal suction or vacuum in the intake manifold of the en ine is relatively low. Moreover, when such a tank is used on an engine whose throttle is frequently changed, for example, the engine of a power operated vehicle, the tank is liable to not function properly if the throttle is held open for a long enough period to materially reduce the suction in the intake manifold.

The main object of my invention is to provide a liquid fuel supply system for internal combustion engines that can be operated successfully by a very slight suction or vacuum. 0

Another ObJQOlJ is to prov1de an eficient liquid fuel. supply system for internal combustion engines of simple construction and low cost of manufacture that is not liable to get out of order when it is in use.

To thisend I have devised a liquid fuel supply system of the character referred to that comprises an internal combustion engine, a pump of any preferred type or (enstruction for drawing liquid fuel from a source of supply and discharging said fuel into a container, and an air motor of any preferred type or construction operated by the suction in the intake manifold of said internal combustion engine and operatively connected with said pump in such a manner that the pump will operate when said air motor is in operation. If desired, means can be provided for causing the air motor to cease operating automatically when the fuel in the fuel container reaches a certain level and resume its operation automatically when the fuel in the fuel container drops below a certain level.

The figure of the drawing is a vertical sectional view illustrating a liquid fuel supply system for internal combustion engines constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a fuel container of any referred design which is so arranged with relation to an internal combustion engine E that fuel will be supplied by gravity to the engine through a pipe 1 that is connected with a discharge orifice in the lower end of the container A. An air motor B, which may be a reciproeating motor, a turbine or any other suitable type of air motor, is connected by means of a pipe 2 with the intake manifold of the engine E with which the tank is used, and a fuel pump C, which may be a reciprocating pump, a diaphragm pump or any other suitablet'ype of pump, is combined with said air motor B in such a manner that the operation of said motor causes fuel to be drawn from a source of supply into the pump 0 through a conduit 3 and then discharged from said pump into the fuel container A through the discharge outlet d from the pump. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the air motor B consists of a turbine whose casing 5 is provided with an air inlet 6 and an air discharge 7, the shaft 8 of the turbine being rovlded with blades 8 that are. arranged etween stationary blades 8* carried by the for transmitting motion from the air motor B to the fuel illustrated for t pinion 13 on the shaft 8 of the air motor meshing with a gear 14 to which a link 15 on the actuating member 9 of the pump O is eccentrically connected.

When the en 'ne E with which the tank is used is starte air will be sucked through the casing 5 of the air motor B by the suction created in the intake manifold of the engine, thus causing the shaft 8 of said air mptor to revolve. As soon as the shaft of said air motor starts to revolve the actuating member 9 of the pump C will start to operate and thus cause the fuel from the source of supply to be pum ed into the fuel container A. Means is pre erably emplo ed for causing the air motor 18 and the uel pump C to cease operating automatically when the fuel in the container A reaches a certain level and to resume their operation ump C, the means herein automatically when the fuel in the container drops below a certain level, and while various means may be used for this purpose, it prefer to equip the fuel container A with a float 16 that is operatively connected with a valve 17 that closes the air inlet 6 of the aim motor 13 after a certain quantity of fuel has been pumped into the container A. When the fuel in the container A drops below a certain level, the float 16 moves downwardly, and thus causes the valve 17 to open the air inlet 6 of the air motor. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the valve 17 is of the needle type and is arranged at the upper end of a vertically-disposed rod 18 on the float 16 that passes upwardly through a guide 19 on the top of the container A, said limits the downward movement-o said rod and the float 16 to which it is connected.

A vacuum tank of the construction above described can be operated successfully with a very slight suction or vacuum, due to the fact that the suction or vacuum is not exerted directly on the fuel which is drawn into the tank, or on a chamber into which the fuel is drawn, but, on thecontrary, is exerted on a device (the air motor 18), which, in turn, operates a pump that draws the fuel from the source of supply and delivers said fuel to the tank. Accordingly, such a vacuum tank is capable of use with an internal ens and permits is purpose consisting of a it messes combustion engine that is normally operated with a wide open throttle, and when it is used for supplying fuel to the engine of an ordinary poweroperated vehicle, there is no liability of its failing to operate properly when the engine is subjected to a heavy load for a long period. In addition to overcoming a very objectionable characteristic of vacuum tanks of the kind now in general use, my improved tank is inexpensive to manufacture and there is little liability of its getting out of order when it is in use.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The combination of an internal combustion engine, an air turbine operated by the suction or vacuum produced in the intake manifold ofsaid engine, a liquid fuel pump operated by said air turbine, a container into which fuel is delivered from said pump, and means for causing said turbine and pump to cease operating when the fuel in sa1d container exceeds a certain quantity.

2. The combination of an internal combustion engine, an air turbine operated by the suction or vacuum produced in the intake manifold of said engine, a reciprocating liquid fuel pump operated by said air turbine a container into which fuel is delivered from said pump, and means for causing said pump to cease operating when the fuel in said container rises above a certain level and to resume its operation when the fuel in said container drops below said level.

3. A fuel supply device for internal combustion engines, comprising a, container adapted to receive liquid fuel, a pump for drawing li uid fuel from a source of supply and delivering said fuel to said container, an.

air motor operatively connected with said pump, a suction pipe leading from said motor to the intake manifold of the engine with which the device is used, a float in said container, and means controlled by said float for automatically cuttin 0d the supply of.

fuel to said container a r a certain quantity of fuel has been supplied to said container and for resuming the supply of fuel slow a certain level.

to said container when"- the fuel therein drops rod 18 being provided with a sto 20-that b Illlt 4. A fuel supply device forjinternal com bustion engines, comprising a container adapted to receive liquid fuel, a pump for drawing fuel from'a source of supply andv delivering said fuel to said container, an in-' ternal combustion engine, an. air motor operatively connected with said pump and operated by the suction or vacuum produced in the intake manifold of said engine, a float in said container, and a valve operated by said float for governing the supply of air to said air motor.

5. The combination of an internal oombustion engine, a liquid fuel container, 2

aeeaeae pump for drawing fuel from a source of supply and delivering said fuel to said contalner, a turbine operatively connected with said pump and adapted to be operated by the suction produced in the intake manifold of said engine, and means governed by the rise and fall of the fuel in said container for controlling the operation of said turbine.

6. The combination of an internal combustion engine, an air turbine connected with the intake manifold of said engine, a container from which liquid fuel is supplied to the engine by gravity, and a reciprocating pump operated by said air turbine for raisin liquid fuel from a source of supply and de ivering said fuel to said container.

7. The combination of an internal combusti on engine, an air motor connected with the intake manifold of said engine, a container from which fuel is supplied to the engine by gravity, a pump operated by said air motor for drawing fuel from a source of supply 7 and delivering said fuel to said container, a

float in said container, and a valve operated by said float and so arranged that it will cut oil the supply of air to said air motor when the fuel in said container rises above a certain level and will resume the supply of air to said air motor when the fuel in said container drops below said level.

8., The combination of an internal combustion engine, a fuel container, a fuel pump provided with an actuating member that moves in opposite directions so as to draw fuel from a source of supply and deliver said fuel to said container, an airturbine operatively connected with said pump and adapted to be operated by the suction or vacuum in the intake of the engine, an air admission port for said turbine, a float in said container, and a valve operated by saidfloat and so arranged that it will close said air admission port automatically when the fuel in said container reachesa certain level and will open said port when the fuel in said container drops below said level.

WILLIAM C. GARTER. 

